Hi,

My girlfriend is already coming to the UK on a tourists visa in July. If all goes well we shall hopefully apply for her and my son to come here permanently some time in early January of 2011. I am registered on my sons birth certificate but as yet have not registered him with the UK authorities.

What I would like is some clarification on.

Do I have to register my son at the UK embassy?

And will this help?

What Visa application form do I need for my Girlfriend?

Will my son be admitted on the same form?

After the marriage in the UK. What comes next will we have to apply for anything else?

is there anything else I will have to take into account?

Is there a link on here that covers all of these questions and more?

Any assistance will be gratefully received,

Thanks.

Gerald.

You need to do some searching on this forum for settlement or fiance visas. You first port of call should be this website as this is the homepage of the company contracted to look after UK visa applications.

No, you don't have to register your son at the UK ambassy in BKK, but in my opinion, you should. You will get a UK birth certificate for him and a UK passport (You don't need to apply for the birth cert to get the passport). Once he has his passport, he doesn't need a visa ofr the UK, you just need to mention him on your GFs application.

If you are coming in on a fiance visa, she will need to apply for FLR after your marriage. 2 years later, she would then apply for ILR. If she comes in as your wife (i.e. marry in Thailand) then you need to apply for ILR after 2 years in the UK.

You should really do a lot of reading on this forum by searching and visiting the links at the bottom of the page on the link I gave you above.

You require a visitors visa for your partner Visitors information.

If you wish to marry in the UK see Fiancé.

Or you may wish to marry in Bangkok and apply for settlement Husbands & Wives.

If you require professional help feel free to contact me via my website we have an office in Pattaya/UK.

As said, your son is a British citizen, so you should get a British passport for him. He then wont need a visa to enter the UK. See How to register a birth and Passports.

You have two, possibly three, ways to obtain settlement for your girlfriend.

1) A settlement visa as your fiance..

This lasts for 6 months, during which time you marry and she then applies for a 2 year extension known as Further Leave to Remain.

At the end of this two years she applies for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

One of the requirements for ILR is that she demonstrates she has adequate knowledge of language and life in the UK.

The costs of doing this (from April 2010*) are:-

Initial visa: £644.

FLR: £475 by post or £730 in person.

ILR: £840 by post or £1095 in person.

2) You marry in Thailand and she applies for settlement as your spouse.

This visa lasts for 27 months. After she has been in the UK for two years she applies for ILR. So this cuts out the need for FLR and so saves that fee.

3) You don't say how long you have been together. If you have been living together in Thailand in a relationship akin to marriage for at least the last two years then she can apply for settlement as your unmarried partner.

Like a spouse visa this lasts for 27 months, and after being in the UK for 2 years she can apply for ILR.

If you definitely want to marry in the UK rather than Thailand then you could do so while she is here as a visitor. You would first need to obtain a Certificate of Approval from the Home Office. There is currently no fee for this. This would not entitle her to remain in the UK once her visit visa expires, but it does mean you can marry in the UK and when she returns to Thailand she could then apply for entry as your spouse.

Whichever route you choose, you and she will need to show that you satisfy the maintenance and accommodation requirement and she will need to obtain a TB certificate when applying for the initial visa.

She applies using Form VAF4A, either online or by filling in a paper form. For where and how to apply see Official UK visa application website in Thailand

*These fees usually change (upward!) each year.